State Auditor Alleges Director Embezzled from Non-Profit

By Gordon HopkinsState Auditor Mike Foley has recommended a criminal investigation into payments made by a Nebraska non-profit to a food truck business operated by the husband of the non-profit's director.Foley alleges that, between December 2015 and November 2022, Five Rivers Resource Conservation and Development made 200 check and credit card payments totaling $219,963.52 to Arley's food truck, based in Steinauer.Bobbie Meints is the former Executive Director of Five Rivers and the owner of Arley's is her husband, Arlen Meints.Food TruckBobbie Meints is believed to have served as the Executive Director of Five Rivers from at least October 2012 until her resignation in November 2022, although according to a report released by the Auditor's Office on Monday, September 18, , “Five Rivers officials were unsure exactly when she started working in that position. Nevertheless, during her tenure as Executive Director, Ms. Meints had oversight and control over Five Rivers’ financial activities. The APA (Auditor of Public Accounts) received allegations that Ms. Meints had been making unauthorized personal payments with Five Rivers funds. Responding thereto, the APA obtained Five Rivers’ bank account statements, as well as other supporting documentation, including credit card statements, for the period December 2015 through November 2022.”“The above Arley’s payments are obstensibly (sic) personal in nature, as they appear to have been neither for services provided to Five Rivers nor approved by the board. Furthermore, such payments have no apparent connection to the aforementioned objectives of Five Rivers to “assist in initiating and carrying out long-range programs of resource, conservation and development for the purpose of achieving a dynamic rural community,” the report continues. “Five Rivers was unable to provide adequate documentation to support whether Arley’s provided any catering services for the aforementioned payments. Additionally, what nominal documentation was provided failed to correspond with any of the payments reflected on the credit card statements.”What is Five Rivers?Resource Conservation and Development Councils, or RC&D, are 501(c)3 non-profit corporations intended to help communities plan and carry out projects that increase natural resources conservation, support economic development, and enhance the local environment and standard of living. Five Rivers was first established as a non-profit on January 11, 1993 and was funded primarily via state environmental and agricultural grants.Five Rivers was made up of 10 political subdivisions in Nebraska: Gage County, Jefferson County, Saline County, Nemaha Natural Resources District (NRD), Lower Big Blue NRD, Otoe County, Nemaha County, Richardson County, Johnson County and Pawnee County.Jefferson County broke ties with Five Rivers earlier this year when County Commissioners voted unanimously to end the county’s relationship with Five Rivers at a meeting on Tuesday, April 25, 2023.At that meeting, Jefferson County Attorney Joseph Casson said, “There are, I think, 11 of these RC&Ds left. There’s a state RC&D that works with all of them. And I talked to them, and they haven’t heard from Five Rivers for a couple of years. So they’re not sure what’s going on.”Casson added, “So all we would be doing is just withdrawing our membership or canceling our membership with the association. And then that would end our funding them in the future.”As of July 5, 2023, Five Rivers is no longer an active non-profit corporation, having been administratively dissolved.Payroll and Reimbursement IssuesIn addition to payments to Arley's Food Truck, APA found issues with payroll and reimbursements to Bobbi Meints.“During her tenure as the Executive Director of Five Rivers, Ms. Meints was responsible for overseeing the payroll process, including those payments made to herself,” the report pointed out. “Five Rivers representatives were unable to provide adequate documentation to support these payments to Ms. Meints. As a result, the APA could not determine whether the remuneration that Ms. Meints received was in accordance with her approved wages.”The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires quarterly deposits for Federal income taxes, social security taxes, and Medicare taxes to be withheld from employees’ wages, as well as for the employer’s share of social security and Medicare taxes.However, the aforementioned report noted, “Five Rivers made only one payment, totaling $534.50, to the IRS for payroll tax withholdings. Five Rivers appears to have failed, therefore, to make the additional required deposits for the rest of the year. The failure to make such required remittances timely can result in interest and penalty fees being assessed by the IRS.”Foley has turned the matter over to the Attorney General for possible prosecution.

Beware Fake “Investigators” in Latest Phone Scam

Blood Bank Declares Emergency

Related Articles

Candidates Make Their Cases At Forum

Early Voting Ballots Are On Their Way

Secretary of State Alleges Fraud in Medical Cannabis Petitions

NWS Issues Fire Weather Watch for SE Nebraska